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Ages 8+ · Digital Life · Kind and friendly
Online friends and real friends
🏠friend in person🎮game friend🔒private🧑a grown-up
Two kinds of friend.
The big ideaA game friend is fun. You only know their game side. Keep chat in the game.

How it works

A friend in person: you see their face, you hear their voice, and your family knows them too.

A game friend can be fun, but you only ever know a game friend through the game.

A name, a picture and an age online can be made up. Most people in games just want to play, but you cannot tell which ones.

Keep the chat in the game, and tell a grown-up if a game friend asks for more.

A friend in person• You see their face• You hear their voice• Your family knows them tooA game friend• You know them through the game• Name and age can be made up• Friendly is not knowing them
Two kinds of friend.
Fine to say• Our best level• A trick to beat the boss• A jokeKeep it private• Your real name• Where you live and your school• Your phone number• A photo of you
In the game chat.

Example 1: Pancake's three questions

  1. Pancake asked for a name, a school and a home.
  2. Those stay private from people online, and so do your phone number and photos.
  3. Omar told Baba.

Example 2: 'Let's chat somewhere else'

  1. A game friend says, 'Let's chat somewhere else, just us.'
  2. Keep the chat in the game, unless a grown-up says another app is fine.
  3. Show a grown-up.

Example 3: 'Let's meet at the park!'

  1. A game friend wants to meet.
  2. Never meet a game friend in person, even if they seem lovely.
  3. Tell a grown-up.

Example 4: Esi's answer

  1. A friendly game friend asked for Esi's phone number.
  2. Esi said, 'I only chat in the game,' and told her aunt.

Words to know

friend in person
Someone you see, hear and whose grown-ups know yours.
game friend
Someone you only know through a game.
private
Something you keep from people online.
block
To stop a player messaging you.

Watch out

Try it

  1. A friend who came to your birthday party is which kind?
  2. A game friend says 'I am ten, just like you.' Is that proven?
  3. A game friend asks to meet at the park. What do you do?
  4. Is your best level fine to say in the game chat?
Answers: 1. A friend in person · 2. No · 3. Tell a grown-up · 4. Yes
Try at homeAsk a grown-up to show you the block and report buttons in a game you play. Find them together.
For grown-upsAsk your child to name their game friends, and show you the block and report buttons in the game. Play together sometimes.
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